Matt Mooney embraced the extra responsibility for the New Zealand Breakers and with Tacko Fall inspired their team to a drought-breaking 92-68 win over the Cairns Taipans.
The Breakers arrived at the Cairns Convention Centre having lost all eight games since adding Fall to the line-up and missing MVP candidate Parker Jackson-Cartwright, who was suspended after their Christmas loss to Tasmania.
New Zealand showed a performance full of heart to dominate a listless Taipans outfit with Mooney delivering 23 points and 10 assists, and Fall 21 points and 11 boards in 16 minutes.
The Breakers' last win had also been in Cairns back on November 16 and they returned to make a point of utilising the size advantage of Fall early on.
It worked a treat as he scored 10 points in the opening four minutes, as the Breakers opened up a 19-7 lead before turning that into a 14-point advantage during the second period.
New Zealand were still up 10 by half-time with Fall producing 16 points in just over nine minutes with the Snakes shooting 36 per cent from the field and 29 from three.
Mooney took control in the second half for the Breakers and he hit two threes in the third quarter to help the lead to 18 by three quarter-time, and it was out to as much as 26 in the fourth.
New Zealand cruised to the drought-breaking 24-point win Sam Mennenga enjoying his return to Cairns with 11 points and five rebounds while Max Darling provided nine points.
Breakers coach Petteri Koponen was full of praise for his team afterwards, particularly Mooney, Mitch McCarron (eight points, five rebounds, three assists) and Fall.
"I have to give big credit to Matt Mooney and Mitch McCarron, especially Mitch, who it hasn’t been easy for during the season behind Parker," he said.
"But tonight how he controlled the game together with Matt, we were sharing the ball excellent and also defensively we were great, and Mojave King did a great job with Rob Edwards.
"This guy (Fall) next to me also was amazing and impactful with all his minutes that he was on the floor."
It was a horror loss for Cairns who have now lost 15 straight and are 3-16. They shot at 32 per cent while having 14 turnovers from which New Zealand scored 24 points.
Tanner Groves had 21 points and eight rebounds, and Sam Waardenburg 11 points, four rebounds and three assists but Rob Edwards (16 points, five turnovers, 2-of-11 shooting) and Taran Armstrong (two points, three turnovers, 1-of-10) struggled.
"Obviously disappointed because it was a good turnout and the fans were fantastic and packed the place out for New Year's Eve," Taipans coach Adam Forde said.
"Everything was just a bit of a grind and it just needed one team to string together a few in-a-row, and New Zealand were the ones and then as you saw the result looked terrible."
